


on that corner between first av. and my soul

by plinys



Series: abc au challenge [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, Femslash February, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 03:24:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5896255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plinys/pseuds/plinys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kara is a superhero by night and a barista by day, whose life changes just a little bit the first time Cat Grant steps foot in her coffee shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	on that corner between first av. and my soul

**Author's Note:**

> for my abc au fic challenge, c is for coffee shop au! (also for femslash february since tis the seasons for ladies)

Superhero by night. Barista by day.

Or Superhero by day and night and sometimes mid-afternoon. And Barista by early morning and every other random in between.

Easier said than done.

Still, there’s work to be done, which means each time the bell above the coffee shop’s door chimes, she has to plaster on that perfect customer service smile, and be ready to make whatever caffeinated drink the person on the other side of the counter wants.

Most of the usuals she knows by name, even having some of the more harried personal assistants drinks ready for them, because Kara can only imagine what they’re going through and has heard plenty of their stories of their crazy bosses demands. Moments like those remind her to be thankful for the fact that she’s a barista instead of some businessman’s secretary.

Which is why, when the bell above the door rings, Kara can tell in an instant that the person who just stepped into the coffee shop is not a usual. She’s dressed well, fashionable in business casual, scrolling through her phone with a sort of angry manner, as she steps up to the counter.  There’s something almost scary about the woman before her – scary hot, if Kara was going to have to be specific, but scary nevertheless.

“Spiced pumpkin with extra foam and a  _little_  cinnamon sprinkled on top.”

The order rolls off quickly enough, without the other woman even looking up from her phone, it’s all said dismissively as though Kara is not worth her time. Perhaps nobody is worth her time.

Kara has to ask, “What size?” Which in turn rewards her with a scrutinizing look – at least, she’s no longer looking at her phone screen.

“Oh, I don’t know. My assistant always orders these, he’s sick today – of all things _sick_ as if we don’t have very important work to be doing.”

“What’s your assistant’s name?”

The woman doesn’t respond. If anything her scrutiny gets even more intense.

Kara jumps to explain, “If he comes here every morning, I’ve probably got your order memorized-“ now that she mentioned it the spiced pumpkin did sound familiar. She could only blame having been half-asleep from last nights alien fighting to not have realized it before, “Winn’s your assistant right? Winn Schott? Which means you’re Cat Grant.”

Cat Grant. CEO of CatCo Worldwide Media.

Kara had heard plenty of not too nice stories about her.

“That I am,” Cat says, with carefully measured words. “Now, do you know what to make or am I going to have to find somebody around here who can actually make my latte.”

“I can do it! One grande spiced pumpkin latte with extra foam and a little cinnamon sprinkled on top, coming right up, Miss Grant.”

This apparently was the right thing to say, because it earns her a small nod of approval before Cat is back to looking at her cellphone. But not before she says, “Thank you, Kiara.”

“It’s Kara,” she says quickly, but gets no response in return.

\---

The next day Winn shows up, bundled in two sweaters even though it’s far too warm outside for even one.

She tries not to feel disappointed.

\---

It takes a week for her to see Cat Grant again and when she does it’s not in the way she would’ve expected. Apparently being the CEO of a popular media company makes you a target for supervillains – who would’ve guessed that one?

“I want an interview,” are the first words Cat says after being rescue. Not the least grateful person to have been rescued by her, but definitely up there. Despite of that Kara’s careful not to drop her, as she flies them to somewhere with more stable ground.

“I don’t really do interviews,” Kara says, “I’m too busy.”

“Saving the world?”

“Among other things.”

There’s a small _hm_ noise, an unsatisfied one, one that brings her back to that day in the coffee shop. Before she can dwell on that, she lands them both on solid ground, setting Cat down quickly.

“I’ve got to go, people to save, you know how it goes.”

“Think about the interview,” is all she has to say.

\---

Kara knows Winn’s going to be gone this time.

Serial killers may not be Kara’s area of expertise, but she reads the news and is well enough friends with her usuals to know when they’re going to be out for the day because the FBI needs their help to track down the escaped serial killer that they happen to be related to.

Though knowing that doesn’t prepare her for the way Cat looks, fresh and bring in the morning, staring at Kara as she moves around behind the counter to prepare her drink.

“I know you from somewhere,” Cat says after a long moment.

“I made your coffee about a month or so ago, when Winn was sick,” Kara reminds her.

Because mentioning that the last time they saw each other was when Kara rescued her from a freak electrical storm in her office.

 Of course, just her luck that Cat doesn’t let it go at that. “Do you always wear glasses?”

“Well, I need them to see,” Kara lies, quickly. “We can’t all have supervision.”

\---

“Kiara.”

This is the third time Cat’s came in this week, even though Kara knows very well that Winn is back to work, since she personally had a hand in apprehending his father. Something Cat seems to be counting on Kara not knowing.

“It’s Kara,” she corrects for the third time this week.

And she is predictably ignored, for the third time.

“I’d like my usual.”

“Coming right up, Miss Grant,” Kara says, plastering on a bright smile.

The scrutinizing looks have become more intense over the past few days. To the point where Kara feels just the slightest bit jumpy as she moves around behind the counter to make Cat’s drink. When Kara turns to hand her the drink, their eyes meet for a brief moment, and it feels as if the entire world slows down. She is just thankful that Cat doesn’t have super hearing and can’t hear the way Kara’s heart beats extra fast in that moment.

Then the bell over the door rings as someone else enters the shop and the moment is ruined.

Kara tears her eyes away from Cat’s intense gaze, pushing the coffee cup in her direction.

That could have been the end of it, should’ve been the end of it, had Cat not felt it appropriate to leave on one last zinger. One that made Kara feels as though the ground under her feet had fallen out from underneath her.

“I still want that interview.”

\---

The next day Kara scans the news headlines with a worried gaze, fearing that a headline will jump out at her _Local Barista is Confirmed to be Alien Superhero_ , but the next day’s headlines are uneventful.

Winn comes in for the coffee that day, even going as far to remark on her jitteriness.

“I’m just glad it was you, not Miss Grant, this time,” she says, as she presses the two cups of coffee into his hand, willing her words to feel real.

“Yeah, she’s a bit _intense_ ,” Winn replies.

Intense.

Yes, that is the right word for her. Kara can see it all too well, the way her gaze had always linger on Kara as she moved about the coffee shop, as if she was dissecting her. For a moment Kara had fooled herself into believing that it might have been a sign of interest that Cat Grant was watching her because she liked what she saw.

Now though she understood.

Probably.

Damn, Clark for insisting that a pair of glasses would work for hiding one’s secret identity.

“You could say that.”

\---

The anxiety may just kill her.

Considering everything Kara had survived up until this point, if _this_ was what finally did her in, well – it would be disappointing to say the least.

Which meant there was only one thing left to do.

Speak to the woman herself, in her office.

And well, flying in was better than walking sometimes.

“Supergirl, I see you finally agreed to that interview.”

“I told you before, I don’t do interviews,” Kara says, “But I do do coffee dates.”

She doesn’t miss the smile on the other woman’s lips. A smile that is not only victory, but something else. Something that made a warm feeling stir in the pit of Kara’s stomach.

“I know just the place.”


End file.
